The Magnolia Curse
by Kowareta1468
Summary: Magnolia is a small, peaceful town. No one enters, and no one leaves. When the Fullbuster family comes to stay, Natsu takes it upon himself to discover how their presence affects the curse he believes is over the town. He also needs to discover a few things about himself, like why Lisanna is no longer appealing and why Gray is so fascinating.
1. Chapter 1

**Well hello! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I've had so many ideas in my head for a novel, but I haven't had any inspiration for FanFiction. I finally got some in the form of a new story! I will definitely be editing and uploading for my old stories, so please be patient. I will also be starting a novel soon. I know I've said this before, but I have a few really great ideas. I might even be making one of my FanFiction stories into a novel, so keep your eyes peeled for a poll!**

 **This is my first GraTsu story, so I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the image used as the story cover.**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The day that the Fullbusters moved to town will be imprinted in my mind until the end of time.

It had started like any other day. I woke up day like I had many times before and like I would many times again, though I now know that I will never truly have a similar day to the ones before Gray and Lucy arrived.

I walked to school with Lisanna, just like we had every day since middle school. We stopped at her parents' graves to say hello and drop off flowers like we did every Monday morning, then went on to school. We stood out on the lawn while we waited for Erza and Jellal to come walking up the road, hand in hand, like they had been doing for the year they had been together. Then we all walked to room 101 and sat down in our first-period class: Chemistry with Gildarts.

Gildarts was always late. Fairy Tail was a small school, so there weren't many teachers, which meant that Gildarts had taught every science class since Freshman year. And, ever since the first day of class Freshmen year, he had walked in exactly ten minutes to class each morning. That day, however, he walked in right on time with the bell. Two kids were following him.

When we first saw the two kids, no one talk or moved. No one had come to Fairy Tail as a new student in many, many years. No one moved to Magnolia at all. Period. Seeing two teenagers, extremely attractive ones like that, walk into the room made everyone's hearts stop nearly completely. Well, seeing the attractive girl made their hearts stop.

The girl was beautiful, which even I will admit. She had long blonde hair that flowed down her back. Her chocolate brown eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity, though you could tell by the way her hand rested on her hip and how she flipped her hair that she already considered the school hers. She had a small smirk on her face, one that forced your eyes to travel to her perfect lips. Your eyes couldn't stop there, either. They followed down, down, down the low v-neck of her shirt. Your eyes lingered there for a moment before sweeping down to her skirt, then to her mile-long legs. It may have been because of her super high heels or the short skirt, but it was as if you couldn't get enough of those legs. Even with the heels, though, she only came to the other teenager's shoulders.

He was the one I was _really_ looking at, unlike any of the other girls, whom looked upon the blonde with envy and paid no mind to the boy. I couldn't imagine why, either. Maybe it was the way that he nervously rubbed his arms against the fabric of his worn sweater or the way that when he crinkled his nose, which he did every few seconds, his thickly framed glasses would slide down his nose. Only then would he remove a hand from his arm to push them back up, only to return to his arms a second later. His pants were just a pair of faded blue jeans, which had clearly been through a lot, as well as his worn-out sneakers. He didn't need long legs, deep cleavage, or a sneaky smirk for my eyes to sweep all over him. My eyes darted from his feet to the small amount of skin showing at his hip to his hands to his face to his messy hair and back again, a different order each time. He seemed to be quite tall, too. I had to guess that he was over six foot.

"I'm Lucy and this is my step-brother, Gray," the blonde introduced.

And, just like that, I was transfixed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Gray and Lucy, the first two new students in a very long time, adapted very quickly to school life. In a matter of days, Lucy had every student in the school eating out of her hand. All the girls wanted to be her, and all the boys wanted to be with her. She quickly joined our group of friends, and I think we gave her a much-needed break from all the attention. Erza and Jellal were happily dating, making Jellal's interest in the blonde equal zero percent. Lisanna, Erza, and Cana were too kind of souls to get caught-up in catfights fueled by envy.

Me? I felt nothing towards the blonde, which was shocking. I've never slept around or anything, but I never minded taking a peak. Lately, though, no one was catching my eyes.

"So we were thinking about having a party tonight," Lucy said during lunch one day. "Since it's the end of our first week, after all."

" _You_ thought we should," Gray mumbled under his breath. He leaned back further in his seat, if that was possible, and spend an unnecessary about my time stirring his chicken noodle soup. I knew that the school's food wasn't amazing, but I wasn't sure why he would not even try to eat it.

Despite Gray's comment, Lucy went on to explain her plans for the party. I only listened to part of the conversation, and instead concentrated on watching Gray and his ever-changing facial expressions. Lisanna said that she was going to try and bring Mira. Gray lifted a piece of chicken onto his spoon, cringed, then let the chicken fall back into the soup with a _plop!_. Cana offered to watch the bar that night for Mira to go out. Lisanna said that was great. Gray tugged at the collar of his sweater, giving me a tiny glimpse of his collar-bone. I snapped my gaze from him to Lisanna and tried to follow the conversation harder. I must have been looking at Gray longer than I thought because the table was already talking about the Chemistry lab we did that day.

I decided that I wouldn't pay attention to Gray the rest of the day. And by doing that, I was almost able to imagine that this Friday was no different than the week before and the week before that and the year before that. When we had to peer-edit a paper we wrote in Language, Lisanna was quick to be my partner, just like always. And in gym class, Jellal silently stood by my side while we played volleyball. The day passed quickly that way.

Before I left school that day, I stopped at my locker, just like usual. I grabbed the bag hanging up on one hook, put all the books I needed for my weekend homework inside, and threw it to the ground beside me, just as I had done a million times. My black jacket came next, followed by a quick look in the mirror. A few strands of hair were sticking up in the back, so I tried to smooth it down with my fingers.

"Excuse me," a timid voice spoke. I looked to the side, completely surprised. My eyes widened slightly when I saw Gray, and he quickly looked away in embarrassment. "I just, uh, need in my locker," he rambled quickly.

It seemed that I had done so well ignoring Gray that I had truly gone back into the day-to-day routine like I had before he and his step-sister arrived that Monday. I picked up my bag, giving him access to the locker that was directly beside mine.

"Natsu!"

Lisanna came bounding up behind me, right on cue. Usually by now, my hair would have been fixed, but since Gray distracted me, the white-haired girl let out a giggle, licked her thumb, then smoothed down the strands. It amazed me that Gray and Lucy had disrupted my daily life so much in the past week, yet _this_ was the moment that truly made me realized what was going on.

 _A new family has moved to Magnolia._

X

"Where are you going, Brother?" Sherria asked me that night.

I turned around and looked at my sister, who was standing in the doorway to my room. I nodded my head towards my bed, giving her the permission she needed to shut my door and sit down. I continued to search through my dresser, looking for a shirt. I picked up one, scowled, then began my search again.

"Where are you going?" Sherria asked again. "It's Friday night. Shouldn't Lisanna be coming over any minute?"

I glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on my nightstand. _6:57._ Sherria literally meant a few minutes, seeing as in three minutes Lisanna would knock three times on the door to my house. My mother would greet her, acting surprised and saying how nice it was for her to stop by. Lisanna would say that she just wanted to help me out with some homework, then Mom would let her upstairs. I would hear three knocks on my bedroom door, even though it was open, then she would sit at my desk. Twenty minutes later Mom would come in with hot chocolate and cookies. Then, in one hour, Dad would come up and say that Mira called, looking for Lisanna, even though everyone knew where she would be. Lisanna would act surprised, say that she had a shift at the bar that she forgot about, kiss my cheek, then leave. It happened every Friday like clockwork since eighth grade.

"I'm going to a party," I finally replied. I didn't even have to look at my sister to know that she was completely shocked. I knew that she would go on about the fact that Saturday was the night that I always went to the bar with my friends, even though I wasn't supposed to drink, but I didn't give her the chance. "We're mixing things up this weekend." It was quite the understatement.

"Why are you worrying so much about what you're going to wear?" Sherria asked.

I froze, realizing that she was right. I had touched nearly every shirt I owned, yet I hadn't put one on yet. I still stood shirtless in front of my dresser. I quickly grabbed a shirt and put it on. I was pleased that my last minute decision wasn't totally terrible, just the shirt we all got the Sophomore year when we all went on a field trip to the aquarium, the very one that every Freshmen and Juniors got to go on. My friends and I would be going to a zoo on March 12th in the Spring, since Seniors get to have a different trip.

At seven o'clock, rather than Lisanna coming over, I left. I called out to my parents that I was leaving as the door shut behind me, just so that they wouldn't get a chance to question my odd behavior. I got in my car and pulled out the piece of paper I scrawled Lucy and Gray's address on. Everyone else already had Lucy's number, but I refused to let her have mine, so she wrote down her address for me instead of texting it. If I put her name into my phone, it would be accepting that there was a new family in Magnolia, and I wasn't about to do that.

I knew the streets of Magnolia like the back of my hand, so it didn't take long to find her small house on Strawberry Street. Everyone else was already there, so I quickly parked and hurried up to the door and briskly knocked. A short woman answered the door, her blonde hair cut short to frame her face. She smiled brightly at me. "Ah, you must be Natsu. I'm Layla," she said. I didn't miss her quick glance up to my hair. Clearly, that was my identifier tonight. "Please, come in. The others are in the living room."

I followed her inside and she led me to the living room. Lucy and Mira were both sitting on the couch, fully engrossed in their conversation. Erza was sitting on Jellal's lap, and they were talking to Lisanna. They all had mugs in their hands, no doubt with either hot chocolate or coffee inside.

"Natsu!" Lucy said brightly, seeing that I had entered the room. "I'm glad you made it. If you want something to drink, there's hot chocolate and coffee in the kitchen just through there." She held out her hand and pointed in the opposite direction in which I came.

I wasn't exactly thirsty, but I figured that drinking hot chocolate would at least allow me some sort of normalcy that night, so I went down the hallway. I found the kitchen easily, seeing as there was a large entryway to the room. Layla was leaning across the counter beside a large man with wild black hair, who I guessed was Gray's father.

"So if we could increase what he lifts to 250, then he could gain some muscle by November," the man said. "Of course, then he'd be gaining weight. We don't want him jumping a weight class."

"Honey, it's only the beginning of October," Layla said gently. "We have time."

"I know, but-" He cut his sentence off when he noticed me.

"Uh, sorry," I apologized. I couldn't even remember why I had come into the kitchen. All I could think about was what they had been discussing and the large gash on the man's forehead. "I'm Natsu," I supplied, even though they hadn't asked.

"Ah, yes, the boy with pink hair," the man said with a light chuckle. "I'm Gray's father. You can call me Silver."

"It's nice to meet you," I said. I drew my eyes away from his scar and tried to think of something slightly intelligent to tell him. Instead, I just ran the similarities between him and Gray through my mind. _Gray._ "Is Gray here? He wasn't in the living room."

"He's not very fond of parties," Layla said simply. "He's up in his room if you want to go see him. It's the second door on the right."

I thanked them both before hurrying up the staircase I saw before entering the kitchen. I wasn't exactly sure what possessed me to find Gray when I had originally been in search of something normal. Seeing Gray would be the complete opposite of my original goal, yet I was actually excited to see him. His bedroom door was closed. I was going to knock, but since Layla had told me to just go in, I opened the door and hoped I wouldn't walk in on him changing.

What I saw was even more distracting.

Gray was on his stomach doing push-ups. His hair fell in front of his face, shielding me from his line of vision. His glasses were sitting beside him, which wasn't a surprise since they barely stayed on when he crinkled his nose. They would never stay on during exercise. What really threw me off, though, even more than him being shirtless, was the flexing of his shoulder muscles. I watched as they stretched when he moved his nose to the floor, then relaxed when he came back up to a plank. I realized I couldn't watch him all day, and I was surprised to say I wanted to., I knocked twice on the doorframe, making my presence known.

Gray leaned back on his knees and quickly grabbed his glasses, throwing them on his face. He looked up at me with wide eyes. A few beads of sweat rolled in between his eyes, and his hand moved up to catch them before they reached the tip of his nose. And, unlike the first day when I saw him and my eyes roamed randomly, I was instantly drawn to his chest. His arms were lean yet had a lot of muscle. His pectorals were defined, and he had a clear six-pack. My eyes drooped just a little lower. I snapped my gaze up quickly, not wanting him to catch me staring. _Why am I starting?_

"Hey," I said, struggling to keep my voice even. "I just noticed you weren't downstairs and decided to come see you." I hoped that he didn't think I sounded as weird as I thought I did.

If Gray minded, he didn't show it. He just nodded once before finding his shirt, which was the same sweater he wore to school, and slipped it on. "I was just doing some homework," he said. I wasn't sure what kind of homework he could be doing since I didn't ever remember getting homework in gym class.

"Are you going to come down?" I asked.

"No, I'll probably just stay up here," Gray said. He motioned to his desk where I saw a stack of books, the type of homework I was familiar with.

"Sure," I said easily. "I'll see you later then."

I left him alone, though he didn't give me the same luxury. The image of him was burned into my mind, and he was all I could picture that weekend. When everyone noticed how distracted I was at the party, I said that I was just thinking about the homework I would usually be doing on a Friday night. I never opened a book when I did go home, though. Not that whole weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

**I decided to post another chapter since the story is so new. I hope you continue to enjoy. Please review to let me know what you think!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Monday morning, I tried to get ready for school calmly. My plan failed, as every few seconds, I'd stop what I was doing to think about toned muscles and dripping sweat. I kept trying to shake the thoughts, knowing they were unnatural. It was only a matter of time before Lisanna and I became an official couple. It was expected and _normal_.

What wasn't normal was thinking about the abnormal family that moved to Magnolia. I wasn't supposed to be thinking about their nerdy son who had hidden muscles that were _oh my_.

"Natsu, honey, are you okay?" my mother, Sherry, asked.

I tried to give my most convincing smile. "Of course, Mom. I'm just a little worried about school today," I said. "It's still weird seeing new students, and I can't help but worry something bad will happen."

Sherry smiled sadly and hugged her son. "Why would something bad happen?" she asked. "Do you think those kids are dangerous?"

"Come on, Mom, you know this town is weird," I said.

Sherry's face went hard. "I told you I don't want you talking about that anymore. This town is completely normal, no curse," she said.

I dropped the topic, and so did she.

On my way to school, Lisanna and I stopped at her parents' grave, just like every other Monday morning. While Lisanna, Sherria, and I were waiting in front of the school for Erza and Jellal, we saw the Fullbuster family approach. They hadn't arrived at school at the same time twice in the one week they had been at school, and it just showed how spontaneous and unnatural their presence was.

"Can I go talk to Wendy?" Sherria asked me. Wendy was Gray's younger sister, and the two girls were in the same grade.

Lisanna looked at me with a sad look, probably anticipating the disappointed Sherria was going to face. Of course, I wouldn't let her go talk to the new girl, right?

"Go ahead," I told her. Sherria's face lit up, and she ran off to see her classmate. When I looked at Lisanna, she had a shocked expression on her face. Before she could respond, I said, "I'm actually going to go see Gray."

I jogged to catch up with Gray, not looking back to see the terrible glare I was probably receiving from Lisanna. Gray was just at the front doors to the school, and I leaped forward to get the door first. I held it open and smiled.

"Oh, hey," Gray said. I couldn't tell if he was happy or disappointed to see me. "Shouldn't you be waiting for your friends with your girlfriend? You seem to do that every morning."

"Lisanna isn't my girlfriend," I quickly defended. I had never corrected anyone over the mistake. I usually let them say we were dating. We all thought it would happen eventually, anyway. I use to think so, too, but now I wasn't too sure that Lisanna was right for me.

"Cool," Gray said. He didn't care whether I was dating Lisanna or not. It oddly stung a little.

We reached our lockers, and I, without thinking, I blurted out, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Gray's eyes widened. He was clearly shocked by the question. "I don't have time for people," he said quickly. He grabbed the books he needed from his locker and ran off to Homeroom.

"Did you get what you wanted?" Lisanna asked, popping up beside me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was finished with my locker, so I shut the door. "I didn't want anything."

Lisanna hummed and grabbed my hand. We had held hands a few times, and I never particularly cared. This time, though, it felt awkward. Her hand seemed too small, too soft. "Let's get to class," she said. We held hands the whole way down the hallway.

X

"The math test was so hard today!" Erza said, leaning into Jellal's shoulder. "We should all go to the Stone Monkey."

"That sounds so nice," Cana agreed. "What about you two?" She turned to Lisanna and me.

"I actually have to go help out anyways," Lisanna said. "Mondays Mira is usually a little busy. You'll come, Natsu?"

We had all just stayed after school to help the basketball team blow-up basketballs for their game that night. The coach was the math teacher, so we were hoping that we would get some extra credit. Sherria had helped so she could walk home with me.

I smiled and agreed. I told my friends to meet me there, and I'd catch-up with them after I took Sherria home. We were only a few house away when she asked, "Can I hang out with Wendy tonight? I really like her."

I was happy that Sherria made a friend since she didn't seem to have many. "That'd be fine," I said. "Mom is still at work, and I think Dad is at the hospital for treatment for a few more hours."

Sherria smiled a great big smile that showed all her teeth. "You should invite Gray to the Stone Monkey with you!"

I tripped a little on the sidewalk. _Did she know?_

"He seems like he needs a friend," Sherria went on, not noticing my reaction. "I know that he sits with you all at lunch, but seem doesn't seem really there, you know? It'd be nice. You could probably invite Lucy, too."

When we arrived at the Fullbuster house, Wendy and Layla were sitting on the porch. Silver came around the side of the house. He dropped the whistle from his lips, and the string caught around his neck. "Natsu, right?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, and my sister, Sherria," I said.

"Sherria!" Wendy said, jumping up from her seat. She turned to Layla. "Is it okay if she hangs out with me? She's my friend from school."

Sherria didn't wait for Layla to respond. She ran up the porch steps, and Wendy happily took her inside. Layla smiled at the two, clearly happy her daughter was making friends. She turned to me and said, "I'm sorry, Lucy isn't here. She said she was hanging out with some friends from school tonight."

Layla was truly kind, and I wished I could tell her that Lucy was talking to a group of boys after school, and they all seemed a little too flirty. I wasn't going to be the one to break the news, though, especially if her parents thought she was a perfect angel.

"I was looking for Gray," I said. "Is he here?"

Silver looked at the watch on his wrist. "He better be in twenty seconds," he said. "Those pull-ups shouldn't take that long."

A few seconds later, Gray came running from the same side of the house that Silver had come from. He was wearing basketball shorts and a muscle shirt, and he was breathing very heavy. He bent over to put his hands on his knees.

Silver blew his whistle. "Gray, don't stop now!" he yelled. "Go around back and give me fifty more!" He smiled at me and said, "The old owners of this house had a playset, and we are taking full use of those monkey bars."

"Speaking of monkey bars," I said, watching Gray run around the house again, "I was wondering if Gray would be able to come to the Stone Monkey. I'm going with a few of our friends."

"Of course!" Layla said quickly.

"No, he can't," Silver said. "We only just started. He hasn't even done his sprints yet."

"Silver, he can take a break," Layla said. She gave him a look that left no room for arguments. "Blow your little whistle and let him go shower."

Silver rolled his eyes and blew the whistle. Gray came a few seconds later, a confused look on his face. He probably wasn't used to being interrupted. "Gray," Silver said, "Natsu wants to take you to the Stone Monkey. Go get ready."

"Okay," Gray said. He started walking in the house. "Are you coming?" he asked me.

"Oh!" I said, running in after him. I followed him up the stairs. He grabbed a change of clothes, then went into the bathroom. I assumed he was going to shower, so I walked down the hallway and found Wendy's room. She and Sherria were looking at different nail polishes.

"You should go with the sparkly blue, Wendy," I said, startling the girls. "It will bring out the blue tint in your hair."

"Natsu!" Sherria laughed, throwing a pillow at me. I caught it and tossed it on the bed. "What are you still doing here?"

"Gray is showering," I said. I sat down beside the girls. I grabbed the pink polish from the floor and started painting Sherria's hands. "Why does Silver make Gray work-out so much?"

"Gray wrestles," Wendy said. She held the sparkly blue nail polish up to the light, smiled, then took the cap off. "He was a huge deal at our old school." She started painting the nails on her left hand. "When he was little, he used to get picked on a lot. My dad told him that he would need to be tougher so other kids wouldn't mess with him. He joined the wrestling team the next day. Mom was so mad! After she saw his first meet though, she knew he liked having a physical sport to let off some steam. She told him that he was so strong, and she was so proud of him. He told her that he would get super strong until he could protect her. It was cute, of course, because he was so little. He did believe it, though, being a little kid. It hit him hard when-"

"Wendy," Gray said sharply. We turned and saw him standing in the doorway. He was wearing a pair of worn-out jeans and a plain black shirt.

"Sorry," Wendy said. She started painting her nails with more focus as if she could pretend she never said anything at all.

I looked at Sherria, and she gave me a sad look. Neither of us knew about Gray's mom or Lucy's dad, for that matter, but something obviously happened, since know they were step-siblings.

"Let's go to the Rock Money," Gray said. He started walking away.

I quickly stood up and followed him. "It's the Stone Monkey," I corrected him.

We walked in silence until we arrived at the Stone Monkey. "It's a bar?" Gray asked, apparently surprised. He still didn't know the town well, but I had assumed he at least knew the most popular place.

"Yeah," I said. "Lisanna and Mira's parents owned it. They passed away, so now Mira mostly runs it. We always hang out here. They have great food, and Mira always makes us virgin drinks."

Gray didn't say anything, so I didn't either. We walked inside, and I led him back to the very corner, where my friend would be sitting in a circular booth.

"Hey, Natsu!" Cana yelled, waving her hands. She loved her alcohol, but she wouldn't dare get Mira and Lisanna in trouble by drinking in there. She was enthusiastic drunk or sober.

"Hey," I said, sliding into the booth. I motioned for everyone to scoot over more so Gray could sit down. No one seemed bothered by his presence, but I knew they hadn't been around just Gray before; Lucy was always there, too.

"We were just talking about the Halloween dance," Erza said. "We are trying to think of someone to go with Cana."

Lisanna came by and brought two chocolate milkshakes, setting one in front of one in front of Gray and me. She smiled at me warmly before going back to the bar. I took a long sip, loving the sweet flavor.

"I just don't think I need a date," Cana said. "Erza, you and Jellal will be going together. We all know Natsu and Lisanna will, too.

I chocked a little on my milkshake. I tried to clear my throat without attracting attention, but everyone was already looking at me.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked. His concern made my cheeks warm, which was also noticeable.

"You're burning up," Erza said, reaching over to touch my face. I jerked back.

"I'm fine," I quickly said. Gray got up without me asking, and I walked back towards the bathrooms.

My heart was racing, and I couldn't figure out why. Cana said that Lisanna and I would be going together, and the idea was giving me anxiety. I peaked out of the bathroom hallway, scanning my eyes around the room. I saw Lisanna talking to a few older men at a table, and I felt nothing looking at her. I walked into the bathroom and put my head against the wall. The plastic tiles felt cool.

"Natsu, are you okay?" someone asked. It was Jellal. I could tell by his voice and the big hand resting on my shoulder.

"I don't want to go with Lisanna," I mumbled.

"What?" Jellal asked. "You're joking, right? You love Lisanna."

I stepped away from the wall to look at my friend. "No, Jellal, I don't. I never said I did," I said. "Maybe I did before. I don't know. I just don't want to be around her anymore."

"Did she do something?" he asked.

"No," I said. "It's complicated." I let out a sigh. "I just don't care to be around her. It's just the same as Erza and Cana."

"I see," he said.

We stood in silence until the bathroom door opened again. Gray stepped inside. He must have thought he was interrupting an important conversation because he ducked his head in embarrassment. His glasses slipped off his nose, and I quickly caught them.

"You should get contacts," I said, hanging back his glasses and smiling. "You're going to lose these someday."

I looked back at Jellal, and he was giving me a weird look. I had just told him that I didn't love Lisanna, so I couldn't imagine what was going through his head. I decided not to ask him what he was thinking, so instead, I left the bathroom.

By the time Gray and Jellal came back, my milkshake was already gone. I looked at Gray's, which was half-melted. He must have noticed my gaze because he slid his cup to me. After a moment's hesitation, I took a sip.

"I don't like milkshakes," he said. "Or bars." He got up from the table and left.

He just left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you mdelpin, .oO, SilverWhiteDragon, and MissAlliCat for reviewing! I'm so happy that you're all liking the story.**

 **What do you all think the curse is? mdelpin is already questioning it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

" _Let's hang out."_

" _What?"_

" _Come to my house tonight."_

" _Okay."_

I laid on my bead, the conversation playing over and over in my mind. I couldn't believe I had invited Gray to my house. It had been very sudden, but I needed to talk to him. I needed to know what happened to his mother, and if that's why he tried to be so physically active. I needed to know why he wouldn't touch anything at lunch, and why he wouldn't drink milkshakes.

I needed to know why he didn't have time for girls.

"Natsu," my mother said, knocking on my door. It was closed, which wasn't normal. "There's a boy here to see you. Is it the new kid?"

I opened my door to see my mother's concerned face. I walked past her and down the stairs. Gray was sitting at the kitchen table, my sister smiling beside him.

"That's nice you and Natsu are friends," she was saying. "I like Wendy a lot. We can all be friends! Won't that be fun? Not for Lucy, though. She doesn't seem to want to be friends with us, only those boys-"

"Sherria," I said. "Why don't you go work on homework?"

"But it's Friday!" she said.

"Then it'll be done early," I said. She got the hint and left, leaving me alone with Gray. Not truly alone, though, because I knew my mother was leaning against the wall in the hallway, trying to figure out why the new boy was in our house.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Gray asked.

I loved the idea of leaving my house, so I agreed. There was a pretty creek by my house, so I started walking there. Gray probably didn't know where we were going, but he didn't seem to mind.

"You don't eat lunch at school," I said. It wasn't a question, but Gray still answered, "And what did we have today for lunch? And the day before that?"

I didn't understand his question. We never had the same thing at lunch, so I didn't realize what his point was. I answered, anyways, "Today we had cheese pizza, leftover macaroni and cheese, and the usual milk. I don't remember about yesterday."

"We had cheesy potato soup," Gray said. He must have read the confusion on my face because he connected the dots for me. "I don't eat meat products."

"You're a slegan?" I asked in shock.

" _Vegan_ ," Gray corrected. "I have been since I was nine. Dad says it's better for my training."

"Was that after what happened to your mom?" I asked. I had planned on bringing up the topic of his mom more sensitively, but I had blurted the question out.

"Do we turn here?" he asked, pointing to the obvious path leading to the woods. I nodded, a little surprised that he guessed where to go.

We walked in silence down the path. I always thought the woods were peaceful, but I was full of anxiety. I felt like my world was changing. Every truth I had previously known was being shattered.

First, no one new ever came to Magnolia. Now, there was a family of five on Strawberry Street that didn't belong. The parents were both divorced for unknown reasons and found love in each other. The father had two children, a boy and a girl. The girl and my sister were becoming fast friends, and the boy was changing other truths. The mother had one daughter, and she seemed to be wanting to get friendly with everyone, probably too much with a lot of boys.

Two, Gray was causing me to feel and not to feel things. He was making me not feel anything for Lisanna anymore, the girl who I was supposed to live Happily Ever After with. He was making me feel things towards _him_. I shouldn't be feeling anything towards any "him."

The third truth may or may not still hold true. Magnolia has a curse, and I have vowed to one day prove it. It is unknown if the Fullbusters have affected it.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Gray asked. He had stopped along the path and was facing me. His eyebrows were knit together, which was making his glasses slip very slightly down his nose.

"Do you like boys?" I asked.

Gray started laughing. He didn't laugh in a cute, quiet way. He doubled over, grabbing his stomach. He gasped for air, not able to catch a full breath. My cheeks heated up, and I scrambled to find an excuse for my random question.

The fourth truth is that I was always calm and collected. Lately, I had been blurting out whatever came to mind, mostly around Gray.

"I mean dogs," I said. Gray slowly stopped laughing. "I was going to ask my mom if I could get a dog. I wasn't sure whether to ask for a boy or a girl."

Gray started to blush, his cheeks just pink enough for me to notice. I couldn't imagine why _he_ was embarrassed. "Oh, I used to have a dog," he said. "I only remember her being old. She slept a lot. After she died, we were too heartbroken to get another dog."

I couldn't help but think about how something terrible happened to Gray's mother, yet now Silver has another wife. I cursed myself for thinking of Gray's mother again. I had to force myself not to ask about her again.

"Cool," I said. I continued down the path, hoping that after a few minutes my embarrassment would subside.

"Natsu," Gray said. He reached out for my arm, and the gesture shocked me. I jerked my arm back, which made me stumble over a tree root. I fell hard onto my back, and the momentum flipped me over onto my stomach. I reached my hands out to try to stop myself from flipping further, and another tree root scraped my arm. I winced as I brushed the dirt off.

"Natsu!" Gray yelled. He ran over to me in two strides and dropped to his knees. He helped me sit up and looked at my arms. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing heavier. "Oh my god."

"It's okay," I said. "It's just a scrape. I'll be fine. When we get to the creek, I can wash it off."

My idea seemed to panic him more. "No, we need to take you back home," he said in a rush. "You don't know what kind of bacteria that dirt carried Your arm could get infected."

I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Gray, it's fine. Really, I'm okay. See?" I moved my arm up and down as I spoke. He didn't seem convinced. I grabbed his arm. "Gray, calm down."

"Please just let me take you back home," he said. "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight unless I get you the best help I can."

Even though we never made it to the creek, I let him take me home. He told me to apply hydrogen peroxide, triple antibiotic ointment, and a bandage on the wound. I told him I would, but I wouldn't do it all over again on Saturday. He didn't like the idea, but he was glad I was at least taking care of it that night.

We reached the end of my driveway, and Gray stopped walking. He said, "I don't like girls. I've never had a boy, so I'm not sure how I feel about them."

I didn't know if we were talking about dogs again, but he left before I could ask.


	5. Chapter 5

**Let's get this chapter to six reviews, and I'll post the next chapter :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

I was allowed to get a dog.

I had asked my mom if I could get one, and she told me to ask my father. I had thought it was the end of the idea, but he surprisingly agreed. "Maybe it'll bring a little hope around here," he had said.

I was given permission Tuesday night. At lunch on Wednesday, I made my announcement. "My parents said I could get a dog," I said.

Lisanna squealed in delight and began gushing to Cana and Erza about what kind "we" would get, what to name it, and how often she would see it. I tried to ignore her because I knew she had good intentions.

"What kind will you get?" Jellal asked. I shrugged, so he supplied, "A labrador would be cool. They're big, but not too big."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," I said. "Oh, and I was thinking about getting a boy. I thought I'd see if I liked them."

Gray choked on his tomato soup, food that fit his vegan diet. I pat his back, trying to help him. Jellal gave the two of us a strange look. I remembered the thoughtful look he had when I told him I didn't like Lisanna, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing as that night, whatever it was.

Just as Gray stopped choking, Lucy came over to the table, dragging a blue-haired girl with her. I already knew who she was: Levy McGarden. She was a total bookworm, and she was the top student in our graduating class. She had dyed her hair blue our Sophomore year as a way to rebel against the world, and the color had stuck. She has had blue hair ever since, a marker of the only rebellious time in her life.

"Everyone, you know Levy. Levy, this is my brother, Gray," Lucy said, introducing the two. I noticed that Lucy always said Gray was her step-brother unless she had ulterior motives, and then she said he was her brother.

Gray just nodded and went back to eating his soup. Lucy didn't seem to mind, and she and Levy sat down at our table. "Who all is going to the Halloween dance?" Lucy asked.

"Erza and Jellal are going together, of course. Cana is still dateless," Lisanna said, answering for the group. She lowered her voice slightly, just loud enough that we could all still here, and said, "Natsu will be asking me soon, of course."

"Great!" Lucy said with a bright smile. "Gray, I think you'd really like Levy."

Gray raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed with his sister's plan. Her smile didn't falter, and I wondered if they had a silent battle. If they did, then Lucy won, because Gray sighed and went back to his soup.

X

That night, my whole family went to the pet shelter. My sister was bouncing her legs in the car from excitement. My mother chided her not to get too excited because I was the one getting the dog, but she also didn't bother hiding her joy, either. My dad had a small smile on his face as he looked out the car window.

Jellal had recommended a labrador, but I wanted to keep my options open. There were many dogs, and my only wish was for it to be a boy. I saw dogs of all ages, and I had a hard time deciding.

My sister pointed a small pug out to me, which is when I noticed the husky in the next cage over. He was all gray, darker on the top and lighter on the bottom. He was fully grown and male. To top it off, he had big blue eyes that stared up at me. I smiled, and he walked to the edge of his cage. I took that as a sign.

We purchased the dog for fifty dollars, bought a collar, leash, bowls, and a small bag of dog food. We took him home, and the first thing I asked was to take him on a walk. My parents said I could as long as I took Sherria.

"We're going to Wendy's house, right?" Sherria asked. I smiled, and she smiled back.

Wendy, Lucy, and Levy were sitting on the porch talking. Not surprisingly, Silver was standing in the yard with a whistle between his lips. He nodded at me when he saw me, then turned back to the side of the house. After a moment, Gray came running around the building. He didn't notice me and kept running around the other side. When he came back around the second time, Silver blew his whistle. Gray dropped to the ground, did ten push-ups, then started running again. The next time around, my dog barked, making Gray stop running. He smiled when he saw us.

"Can I take a break?" Gray asked. I was surprised because usually, he spoke to me by force. This time, he was the one to offer. He was probably excited about seeing my new dog.

"Don't stop, Gray!" Lucy called. "Levy wants more eye candy!" Levy squealed, playfully slapping Lucy.

Silver told Gray he could stop as long as they practiced after dinner. Gray said that was fine and jogged over to me. Sherria smiled at me before joining her friend on the porch.

"So this is her?" Gray asked, sitting on the ground to pet my husky.

"It's a boy," I said. "I wanted to see if I liked them, remember?" I scratched my nose to hide my pink cheeks.

"What's his name?" he asked. I shrugged, which made him roll his eyes. "What about Frosty? It matches his eyes."

"I like it," I said. I hadn't expected Gray to name my dog, but I also wasn't surprised that he thought of a perfect name. "I think his name was Jasper or something before. Totally didn't fit him."

Gray laughed, and my stomach fluttered. Unlike in the woods when I initially asked if Gray liked boys when his laugh was loud and hard, this laugh was light and airy. I never wanted it to stop.

"Come on, let's go around back. There's probably a few sticks he can play with," Gray said. He grabbed Frosty's leash and started walking, and I quickly followed. He laid on the ground with Frosty and started rubbing his stomach. Frosty let out a smile whine, a happy one, and leaned closer to him.

"Careful, or I'm going to think you like my dog more than me," I said, sitting down beside the pair.

"That isn't possible," Gray said. He didn't look up at me, and I wondered if he was joking or not.

I scooted closer to him and helped him pet Frosty. My dog seemed to love the attention, which made me smile. I may have only said I wanted a dog to explain my awkward question to Gray about liking boys, but I had become very excited about the idea.

"How's your arm?" Gray asked. He reached over and pulled up my sleeve. My arm only had a faint pink line now, so it was healing quite nicely. "I'm glad it healed. I'm sorry I was so freaked out. I just hate injuries and blood."

I could barely focus on what he was saying. All I was thinking about was the last time Lisanna held my hand. I thought it felt awkward, her hands too soft. Gray's hands were gentle, yes, but they had a roughness to them. He made me feel safe just with a single touch, and I wondered if that was his will to protect people, to protect _me_.

"Gray," I said, not sure what else to say but his name. He looked up at me, and my heart began beating faster. Lisanna had never made my heart race like that, and I didn't like the feeling. I put a hand on my heart, willing it to slow down.

Gray put his hand over mine, which made my heart beat even faster. We looked at each other for a minute, taking in the situation. He was as thoughtful as always, and I wanted to know what he was thinking.

Frosty licked Gray's face, making his glasses fly off and breaking our trance. We both laughed, and I picked up the glasses while Gray wrestled Frosty down. I loved watching the two play. Gray seemed to enjoy dogs, and I was happy I could bring another into his life. He had told me before that his family used to have a dog and she died when he was young.

"Are you going to ask Levy to the Halloween dance?" I asked. Lucy had seemed very interested in the two talking at lunch, and she probably had Levy come over so the two could get closer.

"I don't have much of choice," Gray said. "If I don't ask her now, I'll look like a jerk. Lucy has stressed the idea so much. On our walk home, she kept saying how cute we looked next to each other. I'm sure Levy is a nice girl, but I'm just not interested."

"Levy is really nice," I said. "She's very girly and sweet."

"I don't want girly," Gray said. "I want to be able to protect people, yes, but I don't want to think about it constantly. I don't have to worry about Lucy all the time because she's tough. I need someone like that."

"You want to date your sister?" I said. We both started laughing, and it was nice.

"You know what I mean! I just can't always have my guard up. I need to be able to relax sometimes," he said. Frosty brought a stick over to him, so he threw it across the yard. "My mom always said I was so strong for wrestling, and I loved that feeling. She used always said I was her strong protector, and for a small, weak kid like me, that was everything."

"What happened?" I whispered. I thought if I spoke softly enough, the truth wouldn't be as painful to hear.

"She and I were driving back from wrestling practice one day, and we got into a terrible accident," he explained. "I don't remember it that well. I guess I blacked-out. The police said she must have moved to grab me or something, because I woke up with her on my lap, covered in blood. They used the Jaws of Life to open up the car, and she was dead when they pulled her out."

I didn't say anything. I was used to hearing tragic stories, but I never knew what to say. Almost everyone I knew had lost at least one parent, usually in terrible ways. "My dad has lung cancer," I said. "He seems to be doing okay, but I know that he won't live much longer."

"How do you know?" Gray asked. He didn't seem to mind me talking about my parent, rather than his.

"Everyone loses one parent by the time they graduate," I said. "It's the town's curse."

"A curse?" Gray asked. He didn't look like he wanted to laugh, even though most people do when I tell them I think Magnolia is cursed.

"Lisanna already lost both of her parents in eighth grade. Two years ago, Erza's parents and Jellal's mother died in a plane crash when they were leaving Magnolia on a business trip. Cana's mother died giving birth to her, conveniently out of town. My dad has lung cancer. No one can leave town, and one parent always dies."

He probably thought I was crazy, but he didn't say it directly. He simply avoided the topic. "Do you think I should go to the dance with Levy?" he asked.

"Do you like her?" I asked. I was hoping he'd say no.

"No, I think I like someone else," he said. He stood up and grabbed handed me Frosty's leash. "Dinner is going to be ready soon, so you should probably head home."

That night, I laid awake staring at my ceiling, thinking about who he liked.


	6. Chapter 6

**A couple of people reviewed for the last chapter saying they can smell the drama. Yes, MissAliCat, I do like drama! Here it comes!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

The Halloween dance soon approached, and the whole school was buzzing with energy. Classes were canceled the Friday before Halloween, and my friends and I went to decorate like we did for every school dance.

I hadn't seen Gray since we last talked at his house, and I was still eager to know who he liked. I had tried to figure it out, but I never saw him interact with anyone outside of our group of friends. The only single girls were Levy, who he already said he didn't like, and Cana, who he hardly interacted with, so I was at a loss.

"Party at my house after, of course," Lucy said, handing Lisanna her half of the string lights. "I convinced Mom to take Silver to a hotel on the edge of town for the night. Silver's the one with a stick up his ass, so Mom told him they needed a night in a hotel. She's so cool."

I was holding the ladder for Lisanna, and I looked over to Gray, who was holding Lucy's. He didn't seem to have any reaction when Lucy said something rude about his dad.

We had all assumed the step-siblings were close, but I had seen many instances where they clashed. It seemed that this time Gray was keeping his opinions to himself.

"Okay, all set!" Lisanna announced, proudly looking at her work. Between herself and Lucy, three lines of lights were hung all around the gym walls, each line a few feet apart. The lights added a soft glow to the room, and it would look great when all the gym lights were off.

The girls had done a great job decorating. Behind the lights, large sheets of fabric were hung to look like fastened curtains. The curtains were orange, and the lights were purple, which added nice color contrast. The floor had different Halloween drawings painted with washable paint.

The boys had been there to help carry things, such as the tables, DJ stand, and boxes of decorations. Luckily I kept busy enough that I didn't get the chance to watch Gray carry boxes because that would have been very distracting.

With the dance set up, everyone went home to get ready. Every grade wore costumes aside from the Seniors, who wore semi-formal attire. The tradition had started back when our parents were in school, and every year the Seniors decided to keep it going. I believe it began when the school started crowning the King and Queen of the Pumpkins. All the girls who were nominated wanted to dress up fancy, and their dates had to go along with it. No one wanted the nominees to be left out, so all the seniors decided to dress up.

This year, the nominations for Queen of the Pumpkins were Lisanna, Erza, and Lucy. Lisanna and Erza were one of the most popular girls in the grade, though they weren't in the "snotty girl" group. Lucy's nomination came as a surprise to some people, but I had seen how quickly she stole the hearts of everyone in the school.

The King of the Pumpkins nominations were typically chosen based off of the girls, so Jellal and myself were selected. Lucy wasn't associated with any particular guy, so Gajeel Redfox was chosen. He was reasonably popular, but I suspected he was nominated as a joke. Gajeel didn't care about school, especially not a silly dance.

Lisanna, Lucy, Levy, Erza, and Cana all got ready for the dance at the Stone Monkey. Mira wanted to help them get ready, and with all the girls going to the dance, no one was able to watch the bar otherwise. Jellal, Gray, and I all got ready at our own houses. We met at the front of the school while we waited for our dates.

We were all wearing black tuxedos with ties to match our dates' dress. Jellal was wearing a red tie to match Erza, Gray was wearing an orange tie to match Levy, and I was wearing a pink tie to match Lisanna.

Layla and Silver drove all the girls to the dance using two cars. Lisanna, Levy, Erza, and Cana rode with Silver, and Sherria, Wendy, and Lucy rode with Layla. Wendy and Sherria had gotten ready at Wendy's house, and they were both wearing costumes. Wendy was wearing a bunny suit, and Sherria was dressed as a firefighter in honor of my father.

Jellal took a lot of time to gush over Erza's dress, but I couldn't find the energy to do the same with Lisanna. She looked nice, sure, but I wasn't filled with the overwhelming joy of seeing her dressed so beautifully.

The crowing of the King and Queen of the Pumpkins happened at the start of the dance since many Freshmen and Sophomores had to leave early and wouldn't want to miss it. Lisanna and I were crowned King and Queen, and we were each given a crown that had tiny pumpkins on them. We were also required to share a special dance.

During the dance, I kept thinking about Lisanna's small hands. She held them at my neck and used her fingertips to tickle my hairline, and I wasn't sure if the action was intentional. No matter her intentions, it sent chills down my spine each time in a wicked way.

When the song ended, I rushed over to the punch table. Gray noticed my abrupt exit. He followed me to ask if I was okay. I tried to give him my most convincing smile. He didn't believe it because he asked, "Do you not like Lisanna?"

I tried not to look nervous as I said, "No, I just hate doing things like that in front of people."

"You're usually very confident," he said, "so I don't believe you."

When the next slow song came on, I made sure to stay busy with the refreshments so Lisanna wouldn't ask me to dance. I watched everyone else dance instead. I saw that Erza also played with Jellal's hair, but she was much more bold about it. Jellal held tightly onto her waist, and they were both enjoying themselves.

I searched for Gray. He was dancing with Levy, and he seemed very bored. His hands were higher on her back. I noticed a sense of strength in his hands, and I knew that he was showing his will to protect her. I suddenly knew what he meant about always having his guard up around girls. Even at a school dance, he held onto her like someone could come up at any moment and take her.

Many guys asked to dance with the Queen of the Pumpkins, so I successfully avoided Lisanna the rest of the night. I saw that Wendy and Sherria were dancing with a cowboy, probably Romeo Conbolt. Lucy danced around with many guys, including Gray.

When the dance was over, everyone walked to Lucy's house. The girls no longer felt the need to impress anyone, so they carried their shoes and ran through the streets. Most of the guys took their time walking, and I lagged behind even farther. I took in everything around me, knowing that it was my last Halloween dance.

By the time I reached Lucy's house, the party was alive and buzzing. Every light in the house was on, and I could hear the music from a block away. If Magnolia had the type of people that called the cops on loud parties, then I would have been worried for Lucy and Gray.

When I went inside, I saw rowdy kids, lots of food, and dozens of red plastic cups. I hadn't realized the party would have alcohol, but I wasn't surprised. I went to the kitchen to find a cup for myself, deciding to participate a little.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouted, raising her cup in the air. She moved through a small crowd to get to me, picking up an extra cup on the way.

"Thanks," I said, taking the cup. I looked around, trying to find another friend, but I couldn't find anyone.

Lisanna seemed to guess my thoughts. She explained, "Jellal and Erza went on a walk, Cana is in the back drinking with a bunch of guys, your sister is in Wendy's room, and Lucy is making her way around the crowd." She didn't include the one person I wanted to know about: Gray. "Let's go somewhere private."

I couldn't believe that Lisanna was so bold. I imagined she had a head-start drinking to gain the confidence. I quickly downed my drink, needing some confidence of my own. She just laughed at my antics, got another cup for me, and took my hand.

We walked into the dining room, one of the least crowded places in the house because it didn't have the source of the music, like the living room, or the reservoir of alcohol, like the kitchen. She moved so we were by a corner, my back against the one wall. She stood too close.

"I'm sorry we didn't dance more at the party, King," she said. Even her voice was oozing confidence. She moved her fingers up my shirt, teasing the top button. My stomach flipped, and I knew I needed to get away.

 _What's wrong with me?_ I thought. I wished I could trade places with someone. I could walk into another room and point at any random guy, and they would gladly take my place.

Lisanna looked up at me with her big blue eyes, and I couldn't lie to myself anymore; I did not want to be with her. She got onto her toes and leaned towards my face, and I was hoping for her sake that she didn't try to kiss me. She did, though, and I only let her lips brush mine before I pushed her away. She seemed surprised, but she probably had enough alcohol in her to avoid getting too upset.

I finished my second drink before going upstairs to Gray's room; I knew no partiers would be there. I felt dizzy from feeling my world crash around me. I knew Lisanna could very well hate me in the morning, and many people would be confused as to why I rejected her.

I opened Gray's door and smiled when I saw him laying on his bed. He sat up when he saw me. He had already changed into a regular shirt and sweatpants. I took off my jacket and shoes, throwing them on the floor by the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be with Lisanna?"

I remembered I was wearing my crown still, so I threw that, as well. "Things don't work with Lisanna," I said. I sat down beside him on the bed, putting my head in my hands.

Gray put his hand on my knee, probably trying to be supportive. "What doesn't work?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. I looked up at him, and he seemed truly worried for me. "Where's Levy?"

"She's with Lucy," he said.

"It wasn't working for you either, was it?" I said. He looked startled for a minute, and then he seemed to compose himself. I wondered if he knew what I meant.

I leaned back on the bed with my feet still on the floor. The room was spinning. "Do you ever feel like you are totally wrong about something, even if you used to be so sure of yourself?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I don't think we are wrong about things; we just grow and change."

"I think I've changed," I said. "Maybe you're right; maybe I've been slowly changing and haven't realized it." I sat back up again. "It started with her hands, and then it became everything else."

"Are you talking about Lisanna?" he asked. "What happened?" He had a concerned look on his face again.

 _What happened?_ I asked myself. I liked Lisanna. Things were natural. Then Gray moved to town, and things got messy. _No, he didn't make things messy; I just realized they already were. I grew, and I changed._

Gray might have wanted to say something else after that, but he never got the chance. Before either of us could realize what was happening, I kissed him.

And he kissed me back.

* * *

 **What did you all think? Do you want Gray to have a positive or negative reaction to the kiss? Did you want them to kiss? What did you think about Lisanna moving-in on Natsu? What do you want to see in the upcoming chapters?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I woke up with a bad headache, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of drink Lisanna had given me. I looked around and saw I was still in Gray's room. I was laying in his bed with a blanket, though I didn't remember getting one. Gray was sitting on the floor across the room talking with Jellal.

"Hey, he's awake," Jellal said.

I didn't realize I fell asleep. I could hardly remember why I was in Gray's room.

"You've been asleep a couple of hours," Gray said. "The party is still going on."

I thought harder about the night, and I remembered Lisanna giving me two different drinks. I ran away after the second one because she tried to kiss me. I also remembered kissing Gray. My cheeks heated up, and I'm sure that Jellal and Gray noticed.

"I'll go get you some water," Gray said. He quickly left, and I wondered if he was embarrassed.

"Did I really fall asleep?" I asked Jellal. It felt like moments ago Gray was kissing me, and I was enjoying it.

"Gray said you fell asleep pretty fast," Jellal explained. "You said something wasn't working with Lisanna, and you asked if something wasn't working with Levy, too, since she was with Lucy. Then you went on about things feeling weird." He chuckled. "Gray said you fell asleep right in the middle of the rant."

I wondered if Gray lied about when I fell asleep so that he could hide that we kissed. He could have been embarrassed, or he didn't like it and was saving me the embarrassment.

"Lisanna probably gave you vodka. That's what she was drinking," Jellal said. "She also said you went to the bathroom and never came back."

I became furious. "I did not!" I said. "She tried to kiss me, so I ran away. I didn't say anything about the bathroom!"

"She tried kissing you?" Jellal asked. He looked torn between happiness and confusion. I think he was prepared to be happy for us, but it was clear that I didn't want Lisanna to kiss me. Everyone would probably be confused to hear that.

"I don't like Lisanna," I told him. It was the first time I said the fact out loud. I had hinted at the idea many times, but I'd never directly said it.

Jellal once again got the thoughtful look on his face. I saw it in the bathroom at the Stone Monkey and lunch the day I announced I was getting a dog. Both times we had been talking about my interest in Lisanna. He finally told me what was on his mind by saying, "You don't like girls at all, right?"

I was shocked that Jellal had concluded my sexuality before I had. He probably first got the idea in the bathroom at the Stone Monkey. I had said I didn't want to go to the dance with Lisanna and didn't like her as much as everyone assumed. He was probably able to dismiss this, thinking I was having a bad day. The second time he had the idea was during lunch after I announced I wanted a male dog to see if I liked boys. It was probably easy to dismiss this, as well, because I could have been talking about dogs.

There was no dismissing the idea now when I wouldn't kiss her and plainly said I'm not interested.

"I don't know," I admitted. I watched Jellal's face for any sign of irritation or judgment, but I saw none.

"You seem to like Gray," Jellal said. I was touched that he wanted to help me figure out my sexuality, but it was clear he didn't know how to help. He had always been straight, and I knew he always would be.

I wasn't ready to admit anything about Gray, and luckily I didn't have to. Gray came back into the room with a glass of water and a bottle of painkiller. I thanked him then took two pills and drank the whole glass.

None of us talked the rest of the time. I tried to guess who Gray could like, and I came to the same conclusion as before: he didn't speak to any girl enough to love her. _Who is it?_ I asked myself over and over.

X

Gray was very on-edge in the days following Halloween. I knew I didn't do anything, though, because he wasn't just weird around me. He didn't talk to anyone, always looked thoughtful, and wouldn't eat anything. I hadn't seen him outside of school at all, and he wasn't reaching out.

After a week and a half, I finally decided to ask Lucy what was wrong with her step-brother. I caught her at her locker at the end of the day and asked her.

"He's fine," she told me. "She and Silver are just all keyed-up about wrestling season. It's so stupid. All Gray is doing is working-out and chugging protein shakes."

I felt relieved. "He takes wrestling very seriously, doesn't he?" I asked. I already knew he did because he worked with his dad every night. I haven't seen him actually wrestling, though. I tried not to picture it.

"Silver thinks he can get a full scholarship to college for it, maybe even go pro," she explained. She shut her locker, and I knew that was the end of the conversation. A few guys were approaching us, and I could see the devilish look on her face that showed she was going to try to get a date with one of them.

I decided to go find Gray. I wasn't quite sure where he'd be, but I decided to check the gym. I didn't know if the wrestling season had started, but there could be a small practice going on.

In the gym, I saw a few guys rolling around on a big mat on the floor. Some were moving around too fast, but I did recognize Gajeel Redfox. He was the team's heavy-weight wrestling and the third candidate for the King of the Pumpkins. His wrestling friends were probably the ones to nominate him. A lot of girls love him, too, mostly because they think it's hot to watch him throw other guys around.

While I was trying to pick Gray out among the other guys, Mr. Vastia came up to me. He was the wrestling coach and taught English. "Mr. Dragneel!" he exclaimed. "Will you be joining the team this year?"

Most of the guys stopped wrestling and looked at me. I wasn't seen as weak in the school, but no one saw me as the type to wrestle. If I did participate in a sport, everyone would expect me to play basketball.

"Ah, no," I said, slightly nervous. Now that everyone was looking at me, I could see that Gray wasn't among them.

"Did you want to do stats then?" Mr. Vastia asked.

"Stats?" I asked. I was disappointed Gray wasn't in the gym, but I was also glad that he didn't have to see me stutter to Mr. Vastia.

"A statistician," Mr. Vasta explained, "is someone who sits at the score table during a match and records the scores the referee gives out. Is that what you wanted to do?"

I had never noticed any stats, or statisticians, at sporting events. The job didn't sound that interesting, but I blurted out, "Yes, that's what I'm here for."

"Great!" Mr. Vastia said. "Head over to my room and I'll give you the handbook to look over. I'll meet you there; I just need to get these guys started."

I nodded dumbly and started walking away. If I were the wrestling stat, then I would watch every match, including Gray's. I couldn't believe I made such a reckless decision. _Can I even handle this? Gray will be wrestling!_ I chided myself.

I needed to talk to Jellal.

* * *

 **So the kiss never happened! But now Natsu is super confused and Jellal knows Natsu doesn't like girls. Natsu hasn't actually decided he likes guys, though. What will being a wrestling stat do that to him? He has to watch Gray wrestle now! Do you guys know anything about wrestling? If you don't I'll give lots of explanations.**

 **What did Lisanna think about the Halloween party? What will Gray say about Natsu being a wrestling stat? Has anyone else discovered that Natsu doesn't like girls? What will Jellal think of Natsu being a wrestling stat? Stay tuned to find out!**


End file.
